THE HOLY BYZANTINE CATHOLIC ORTHODOX CHURCH INCA TRADITIONAL COMMUNITY

OUR BELOVED SAINT OFTIMIOS

Saint Aftimios was a true visionary. He had the heart of a missionary; and he ( like Patriarch Saint Tikhon before him) perceived the absolute essentially of establishing a native American Church.

In 1927, Saint Aftimios (an Archbishop) became the first Ruling Hierarchy of the Church when Metropolitan Platon and the Synod of Bishops of the American Russian Orthodox Dioceses, meeting in South Canaan, Pennsylvania, carried out the will of Saint Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and help set up autocephalous American Orthodox Churches.

Under Saint Aftimios, the Russian Orthodox Church in America was established and incorporated on the basis of an excellent Constitution, designed to bring true unity to American Orthodoxy.

Many believe that Saint Aftimios and the Bishops with his succession are the only canonical Orthodox bishops in the United States since 1917.

Saint Aftimios died at age 85 in 1966.

His heritage lives on in the all the Bishops with his succession in America.

Troparion to St. Aftimios

Rejoice, O Father Aftimios, Adornment of the Holy Church! Thou art Champion of the True Faith,Seeker of the lost, Consolation of the oppressed, Father to orphans, and Friend of the poor,Peacemaker and Good Shepherd, Joy of Orthodoxy, Son of Lebanon, Boast of America;Intercede with Christ God for us and for all who honor thee.

@2007 by The Holy Byzantine Catholic Orthodox Church inc.All right reserved